The practical year is the part of the training during which you are directly confronted with the key and everyday challenges of working in a pharmacy. Further information is also available on the BPhD website (external link, opens in a new window).
During this placement, everyone must work for half a year in a community pharmacy, with everything officially taking place under the supervision of a pharmacist (so no night shifts or anything like that!).
The second half-year can be organised just as flexibly as the second part of the clinical placement (see there), i.e. in community pharmacies, in the pharmaceutical industry, in a hospital pharmacy or even abroad (external link, opens in a new window). If it is not entirely clear whether this period will be recognised by the Chamber of Pharmacists, it is advisable to clarify this beforehand to avoid being left high and dry afterwards.
As already mentioned under the clinical placement section, the practical year is a particularly good opportunity to explore areas of pharmacy other than community pharmacies and to get a feel for them, without committing to a particular field just yet.
You no longer undertake the practical year as a student, which means that all the benefits afforded by your enrolment certificates are no longer available; of course, there is also a ‘small’ compensation in the form of an intern’s salary.
Let your creativity run wild and make the most of this opportunity to apply your knowledge to areas that interest you.